Thomas Allen Ross, 85, of Menasha, passed away peacefully on January 9, 2022, with his wife by his side. He was born in Rhinelander, Wisconsin to Angeline Elizabeth Bertha Anderson Gilley and Frank Thomas Gilley. He was later adopted by his stepfather, Donald Ross.

Tom graduated from Rhinelander High School in 1954 and DeVry Tech in Chicago with a degree in radio and television repair. He earned his first-class FCC radio license, then enlisted in the Army Signal Corps, serving as a deputy near the Korean DMZ.

He married Jolene Dahlvig of Rhinelander in 1962 and built a house in Irma. Tom worked for the State of Wisconsin, first on a road marking crew, then in the Talk Service (now DNR), as a North Central Region Communications Technician until when he retired in 1994.

As a K9GTQ Advanced Class Amateur Radio (HAM) Licensee, he has spoken with hams in over 100 countries and was the first person to win CQ Magazine’s USA-Counties Award out of two bands for speaking with other hams in every county in the United States. He loved to travel and has visited the 48 contiguous United States as well as Canada, Mexico, Korea and Japan.

He is survived by his wife, Jolene; daughters, Kristi (Brian Clausen) Ross-Clausen of Appleton and Ruth (Mike) Tress of Wausau; grandchildren, Alexander Clausen (fiancée Amalie Ludwig) of Appleton, Carl Bartaszewicz of Wausau, Jessica (Jake Kalmon) Bartaszewicz of Medford; and great-grandsons, Ryker and Marek Kalmon.

Interment will be at Forest Home Cemetery, Rhinelander in the spring.

The family would like to thank the staff at Oak Park Place and Christina and Danielle of Moments Hospice for their care and concern for Tom and his family.